


Left Out in the Cold

by she_elf4



Series: The Khan Files [5]
Category: Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Crash Landing, Fluff and Angst, Huddling For Warmth, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-15
Updated: 2020-10-15
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:14:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27032494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/she_elf4/pseuds/she_elf4
Summary: Having received word of Ceti Alpha VI exploding, Kirk goes to check on Khan and his people. However, the Enterprise intercepts and shoots his ship down. Having gotten the cold shoulder from Spock and the Federation at large, will Kirk find a warmer welcome among the Augments? This can be read on its own, but is meant as a sequel to Reflections.
Relationships: James T. Kirk/Khan Noonien Singh
Series: The Khan Files [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1958935
Kudos: 20
Collections: Trektober 2020





	Left Out in the Cold

"Admiral...Jim. This is not your concern. Starfleet High Command has ordered this planet placed under Starfleet General Order 7. You know what that means." Spock's voice over the intercom, coming from the Enterprise, was even more devoid of emotion than usual. Jim was immediately suspicious. Surely, Spock didn't have anything to do with Starfleet's little 'accident' with Ceti Alpha VI, right?

"Come on, now, Spock, you got away with it on Talos IV, why can't I get away with it here? We promised Khan and the others they'd have a fair chance, that's what I'm giving them. It's not like I'm bringing them back to Earth with me, I'm just taking them some supplies to get them through to the next harvest," Jim said. He held his breath, hoping Spock went for it. Instead, his rented ship lightly rocked. 

"Leave now, or be destroyed." Jim swore he'd met glaciers with more warmth than Spock's voice right now. 

"Hold your fire. That's an order, Captain," Jim all but shouted over the intercom. Spock's only response was another short burst of the ship's phasers. Jim raised his shields and began to peel away, only to suddenly redirect back to the planet at the last minute.

Jim watched the incoming torpedoes and knew they'd hit their mark, even as he tried to evade. Sure enough, seconds later, the ship lurched. He returned fire. More torpedoes found their mark and the warning klaxons started up. Looking at the indicators, he could see both his engines and shields were shot; they'd take months to repair by himself. Maybe, hopefully, but probably not, whoever was left on the planet he was now crashing into would help him repair it. As Jim tried to control the crash, he had to wonder what this all meant. Why was this planet placed under the same restrictions as Talos IV? What, exactly, did Starfleet have to do with what had happened? How had the report even crossed his desk in the first place?

As the ship neared the planet, Jim set off a photon torpedo of his own, setting it to explode as soon as it was far enough away to not actually blow up the ship. Hopefully, Spock would think that the shuttle was destroyed. If he was really lucky, the lingering radiation from the torpedo and the disaster that destroyed Ceti Alpha VI would mask his life signs from the Enterprise's sensors. Jim didn't have any more time to ponder it as the shuttle hit, leaving a deep crater and a gash in the hard, barren ground.  
___

As Jim slowly regained consciousness, he was aware of a splitting headache. Then he realized that he ached all over. What had happened, had he been run over by something? Then he remembered: Spock's voice telling him to leave or be destroyed. Him telling Spock to hold his fire, and being shot down anyway. So much for Vulcan friendship. Pulling himself up, Jim forced the thought, the betrayal, out of his mind. He poked at the ship's sensor controls and found them semi-functional. Down here, on the surface, the radiation didn't affect them as much. He was able to get a reading on a group of humanoid life-forms several kilometers away, so at least some of Khan's people had survived. Widening his scan radius, he noted another humanoid life form, several kilometers west from the larger group, that only registered faintly. Someone must be stranded out in the barren wilderness.

Jim loaded all the information onto a tricorder and filled a pack with as many supplies as he could carry. Checking the external temperature from the ship's sensors one last time, he found the temperature to be almost -30 C and starting to sleet. He donned his Starfleet-issue heavy coat and the pack, just remembering to grab the tricorder on the way out. He headed in the direction of the lone person.

It was a long trek; the terrain was rough, large boulders and the dead remains of a once vibrant forest littered the ground, making navigation difficult. The freezing sleet made everything slippery. Jim almost twisted an ankle several times while trying to pick his way over gravel. Longer and longer Jim walked, always hoping the life sign didn't disappear, every moment dreading it would. As the sun went down, the temperature plummeted. The sleet turned to snow, blanketing everything in white and making it difficult to see more than three feet in front of him. The howling of the wind was the only thing to break the eerie silence. His hands and face had long since grown numb. He was looking at his tricorder and the ground so intently he almost tripped over the life he was looking for, nestled in a dry spot between a fallen trunk and a small boulder he was trying to navigate.

It wasn't just one person, but two: a pair of children, impossible to see if they were male or female. They were huddled together, trying to keep warm. Jim quickly dropped the pack and took his heavy coat off, draping it across the children. They looked at him with wide, scared eyes. "It's okay, I'm here to help you. I'm going to take you home," Jim yelled over the wind. They didn't answer him, just continued to stare. He put the pack back on and checked his tricorder. Aside from the cold, the children seemed okay. Scanning the area, Jim saw that the colony was closer than the ship, but there was no telling just what the terrain was like. But from this angle, Jim's tricorder picked up a few of the humanoid life forms scattered around, probably looking for the children. Carefully picking the children up, he cradled them close as best he could while still holding the tricorder steady. He set out towards the colony.

The second journey was harder than the first. The children slowed him down considerably, their weight throwing off his balance on already tricky terrain. More dead trees, remnants of old landslides, and gorges with craggy cliffs all had to be carefully navigated. How had these children gotten so far out on their own? Jim might have asked, but the children had fallen asleep from exhaustion and all of Jim's concentration went into not slipping. Fat snowflakes soaked into his uniform tunic. The wind continued to howl, sounding like the wail of lost souls blowing across hollows in the gorge Jim was trying to pick his way out of. Finally, Jim had some luck: a set of steps had been carved into the stone. Checking his tricorder Jim saw that yes, he'd made it over half way. Jim picked his way up the steps, coming across a wide, flat plain. Nothing here to stop the wind, it tried to push him over as he made his way across, doing his best to shield the children. He couldn't feel anything anymore, even his mind seemed numb. His uniform was soaked through. Jim was growing increasingly tired, exhaustion seeped from his every pore. He wished he could stop to rest. Just lay down and take a short nap. But he had to see to the children first, had to get them home. 

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity in that empty white nothingness, Jim saw a dark shape approaching. As it got closer, Jim could see that it was a person, wrapped up in cloth and fur, some kind of a long, ragged hood over their head. Jim couldn't see their face. He tried to hold the children out to them, hoping the person would take the children so he could finally lay down and rest. But instead, they wrapped their arms around both Jim and the children, dragging Jim along. Forcing Jim to keep walking, far beyond his endurance. More craggy boulders loomed up in the distance, the person guided Jim around them. On the far side, nestled inside a stable outcropping of rock, was a series of cargo containers. The person dragged Jim to them, opened a makeshift door and dragged Jim and the children inside.   
___

Khan knew right away that the distant figure was James Kirk. It brought a rare smile to Khan's face; after their one night, Khan hadn't really expected to ever see James again. But there he was, carrying a large bundle in his arms and a pack on his back, stumbling through the snow. Khan headed over. When he reached James, he saw that the bundle James held out to him was, in fact, the two missing children: his second-in-command's son Joachim, and his friend Maria. Khan had been desperate to find them, but he didn't think they'd still be alive after being alone in the cold for so long. They were both fast asleep, their heads laying on James's shoulder. James was mumbling incoherently as he tried to hold them out, but he clearly expected Khan to take the children and leave him. Instead, Khan dragged James, children and all, into their makeshift shelter. 

Immediately people swarmed around them. After a quick hug, Khan handed the children off to Joaquin, who also hugged them tightly and checked them over. Khan turned his attention to James, who was still incoherent. Khan could tell that Kirk was dangerously close to freezing to death. Even now, his skin was still red and chapped, his eyes and nose running so much Khan doubted that James could see much of anything. James was so cold he'd stopped shivering, never a good sign. 

"They don't seem any worse for wear," Joaquin announced after his examination. "They're pretty deeply asleep, though. Should we monitor them for the night?"

"Yes, if you don't mind," Khan said. "I'll likely be dealing with James all night." Joaquin nodded and carried the children off to his own room.

"Where did you find them?" Otto asked, walking over, taking James's pack and opening it. 

"Wandering the plains. They weren't very far away. It was James that found the boys, I think he was trying to bring them here when I found them," Khan said. He began to strip off James's soaked uniform, noting that it was different from the gold one he'd worn before. 

"At least he thought to bring food and medical supplies. Too bad there isn't more," Otto said as he dug through the pack. He lay out all the supplies for Khan to examine.

Khan looked over the rations as he finished removing James's soaked clothes and draped an old blanket around him like a toga. "That's probably all he could carry with him. There may be more on whatever ship he came on. Either way, this will have to last until the storm is over. Divide it evenly between families." Otto nodded and dragged the supplies off to the side, out of the way.

"What about him?" Kati asked, eying James with distrust. 

"Treat his injuries as best you can," Khan said. He stood aside to give her room.

Kati nodded and began her examination. After she was finished she turned to Khan and said, "He likely has a concussion. He also has frostbite and a few cracked ribs, but I don't think there's any other internal injuries. We should give him a transfusion just in case, it should speed up his healing." She quickly prepared and administered the transfusion. Then she turned back to Khan and continued, "He's still extremely weak and hypothermic; I'm not sure if it's that or the concussion that's got him in such a daze. I'm not sure he'll survive the night on his own, so someone should stay with him."

"I will," Khan answered, leading Kirk away.

"Start him in the hotsprings until his skin turns reddish-purple, then wrap it in whatever you can find that's clean. It should take about half an hour. Also, keep him off his feet," Kati called after him. 

Rerouting himself, Khan picked James up and carried him to the back, where their makeshift shelter met a natural cave system. In the second cave was a steaming pool, one of the few luxuries they'd had on this hellish planet. Drawing him in close, Khan noted that James was still icy cold to the touch. James finally showed signs of life as he started shivering and tried to bury himself in Khan's warmth. Stripping off his own clothes and James's blanket, he carefully lowered James into the water. Half an hour went by, James slowly regaining color and stopping shivering, Khan making sure his head didn't slip underwater. Once James's nose, hands, and feet had turned purple, he quickly got them both out and dried off, wrapping up James's injuries as best he could and wrapping him back in the blanket and quickly redressing himself. Through it all, James remained dazed, seemingly half-asleep. 

With that, Khan carried James back to his own room. After settling James in the bed, Khan removed his outer clothing and joined him. As he drew James into a loose embrace, Khan had to admit, if only to himself, that he'd missed this kind of companionship.  
___

Jim noticed that his second wakening was decidedly less painful than the last one. He was cocooned in softness and warmth, and someone was holding him. In fact, he seemed to be laying across someone's chest. He had a feeling this peaceful moment would end rather abruptly once he opened his eyes, so he put it off for a while. "I know you're awake, James. I can hear the difference in your breathing," an amused voice said.

Jim knew that he knew that voice. Knew that, if he thought about it, the name of it's owner would come to mind. But then he'd have to open his eyes, so he didn't bother to think. Instead, he mumbled, "Yea, but then this whole moment will turn awkward, so let's just pretend I'm still asleep." 

The voice chuckled. "That's the most coherent thing you've said all week." 

That made Jim's eyes shoot open. He looked up at his companion: Khan, like he'd vaguely half-known. He was sleeping on Khan's chest, in a nest of threadbare blankets and furs. Khan's arms were around him, one hand running through his hair. Khan was looking down at Jim, who was still laying on his chest, with an amused smile. "All week?" Jim asked, and Khan nodded.

"Yes, all week. You've been feverish. You also had a concussion and several cracked bones. You really weren't in any condition to be wandering around in the storm. With no coat, blankets, or anything. Between all of that and the frostbite, I wasn't entirely sure we could pull you through." Khan's voice had a scolding edge to it.

Instead of answering, Jim sat up and pushed the furs off, only to pull them back up and lay down again. He briefly noted his uniform had been replaced with some ratty pants and an equally ratty shirt. Khan scooted back, giving Jim some room. "Jesus, it's cold!" 

"Yes, this disaster happened in the middle of winter. With the forest gone, we have no more wood to burn. With food in such short supply, this is how we spend most of our time. We have to conserve as much energy as we can," Khan explained with a touch of annoyance. Not really wanting to deal with that, Jim stared up at the ceiling.

"My ship," Jim said, suddenly remembering. "I've got supplies-"

"Yes, we know," Khan cut him off. "The storm finally broke a few days ago. We retraced your steps with your tricorder. Most of what you brought is here now. But it took a lot of our strength to get it all here. This past month since the disaster has been very hard on us, James. We've all felt the strain. It's going to take time to get everything set up." Jim could tell Khan was laying on his side and staring at Jim, but Jim continued to stare at the ceiling. 

"And the engine?" Jim asked quietly, not sure he really wanted the answer. Sure enough, Khan sighed. "It's dead?"

"Yes and no. Our power generator was damaged, we used parts from your engine to repair it. Now, we should be able to build ourselves a new one, and when that happens, we'll fix your engine and you'll be allowed to leave. But it will take time. We won't be able to start until spring." Khan's voice suddenly sounded softer.

Jim closed his eyes, wishing he could sink back into the warmth and comfort he'd first woken up to. Khan once more put a loose arm around him. After a moment, Jim quietly admitted, "I'm not sure it would make much of a difference. Starfleet quarantined this planet on pain of death. Spock-" his voice choked up for a moment. "My ship was shot down when I came here. If nobody's come snooping since then, they think we're all dead. If I tried to go back now, I'll probably be court martialed and executed." It was true, but somehow, Jim had still hoped that he'd be able to go back and smooth things over. Wanting to change the subject, he asked, "How were things before the disaster?"

By Khan's silence, he knew it wasn't good news. He opened his eyes and looked at Khan, noting his pained expression. "Difficult," Khan said simply. For a moment Jim didn't think he would elaborate. "About a year and a half after we first came, we were attacked by a local parasite that caused erratic, violent behavior. Many of us died either of infighting or of the parasites themselves." This time, Jim knew it was him with the pained expression. Khan drew him back into a loose embrace, and Jim didn't fight it. "One good thing that came from the disaster, all of the parasites except the ones we were infected with were eradicated. We eventually learned how to extract them, and we've been having to breed and eat them until you came. Now, if we're careful, we have enough food to last until the next harvest. We were finally able to wipe the damn things out." 

After Khan's story was finished, they lapsed into silence. Jim's mind churned with the pain and guilt of losing so many people to one single mistake. It felt odd, knowing Khan was feeling the same. They were connected once more. Jim turned over and slung an arm around Khan, not sure if he was offering comfort or taking it.   
____

Years later, they faced the Enterprise as it volleyed one last torpedo at the USS Reliant. Khan and Jim shared a brief triumphant look with each other from the bridge of Jim's old rented ship, now hidden in the debris of the nebula. Maria's fingers flew across the navigator's controls as she fed the Enterprise an image of the Reliant's bridge.

"From Hell's heart I stab at thee. For hate's sake, I spit my last breath at thee." With Khan's apparent final words, the Reliant exploded, along with the Genesis torpedo. Moments later, the Enterprise peeled off. Neither Khan nor Jim smiled this time, the victory was too bitter.

"The new stasis device is finished and ready to activate," Joachim announced. 

"I guess it's time, then," Khan said in a resigned tone. "Put in a heading away from the Federation. Maybe somewhere, out in the stars, there's a planet, a race, that will accept us." Maria input a new heading, being careful to skirt any known large Federation outposts. As everyone settled next to their partners and families, Khan and Jim too settled down in each other's arms. With a nod from Khan, Joachim activated the stasis device.


End file.
